Protester storms stage at controversial World Congress of Families conference

Farrah Tomazin

A pro-choice protester has breached security and stormed the stage at a controversial "pro-families" conference in Melbourne on Saturday, a day after state and federal Liberal MPs pulled out of the event in the face of a political backlash.

Despite a large police presence at the World Congress of Families in Hallam, the woman was able to enter the venue as a registered guest, rushing on to the stage where she positioned herself in front of NSW MP the Reverend Fred Nile and other guests, spilling fake blood on her white outfit.

"We don't want your backyard abortions," she yelled, before being marched out by security.

Guests at the event, who had earlier been confronted by dozens of protesters as they entered the venue, were visibly rattled by the breach, turning to prayer as the woman was ushered outside.

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"Can I ask everybody to take one moment to pray for the forces that create that type of thing; that is extremely sad," Teresa Martin, the Queensland president of right-to-life group Cherish Life, told the audience.

The dramatic scenes kicked off what was always going to be a controversial gathering, with organisers forced to change venues four times in recent weeks in the face of planned protests against the Congress' anti-abortion and anti-gay stances.

State Liberal MP Bernie Finn, who was due to speak about his role in March for the Babies, and upper house colleague Jan Kronberg, who was meant to chair a forum entitled "Sexuality – a Gift for Life", also withdrew on Friday.

The decision to pull out comes only three months before the Victorian state election.

However, speakers at the conference hit out at the move, with Mr Nalliah calling it "gutless" and Dr David van Gend from the Australian Marriage Forum saying it sent a bad message to the protesters who had sought to disrupt the event.

"These [MPs] are brave men, principled men, good Christian men," he said. "By not coming to this conference our MP friends have encouraged this feral mob to do it again."

Endeavour Forum spokeswoman Babette Francis agreed.

"Some of these politicians have pulled out because of something Danny Nalliah said years ago. You'd think he was a serial murderer the way they've been hassling me," she said.

The forum kicked off on Saturday hearing from World Congress of Families managing director Larry Jacobs, an ardent supporter of Russia's laws banning gay pride demonstrations and "homosexual propaganda".

He told the crowd that "90 per cent of poverty" can be solved by marriage.

"Statistically, a child that has a mother and father in the home is likely to do better," he said.

"If you just do three things correctly, 90 per cent of the time you will never live in poverty. What do you have to do? Graduate from high school, get married and have children."

Outside the conference, dozens of protesters gathered early on Saturday morning, chanting and heckling at guests as they entered.

Two other demonstrations, one by gay lobby group Equal Love, and another by a collective called the Block Party Against Hate, were due to take place later in the day.